Monday, October 22, 2007

This weekend we took a visit to our mountain neighbor, Monte Brè. Along with some varilingual European tourists, we took a series of funciular rides up to the top. (Unlike our European counterparts, however, we only paid half-price, being residents. ha ha!) We decided to save the longer hikes for another time and instead took a short walk over to the little town of Bre.

It was just what you might hope a little mountain town in southern Switzerland to be: rustic and italianate, quiet and charming. I did not see any catholic clergy there, but it seemed like the serene, serious sort of place they might like to hang out and be reflective.

Hunger brought us to a nearby grotto, where, feeling a bit like hobbits, we ate some risotto with mushrooms, local meats, and beer. We've learned grottos are very characteristic of southern Switzerland -- imagine Moody's pub crossed with your grandmother's basement and add some taxidermy. The atmosphere is very informal and the food looks and tastes like home cooking. We weren't quite as ebullient as the other families packed in at the other tables, but we had a very nice time.